Page 23

Riot

The following week and a half were tense, but I’ve never enjoyed life more.

Every morning I woke up with Violet in my arms, her warm body curled against mine like she’d always belonged there.

Each day, Caleb tested me with probing questions and suspicious glances that gradually softened into something resembling respect.

By the third day, he’d stopped threatening to kill me in my sleep, which I considered a major victory.

Knight had worked his magic, creating a paper trail of our marriage that would hold up under any scrutiny.

According to official records, Violet and I had been married for a week.

Her divorce from Harrington was finalized six months before.

Sure, Harrington was gonna pitch a bitch fit when this got presented, but Knight guaranteed no one would be able to prove their divorce, our marriage, and Caleb’s adoption were anything other than legit.

Lana assured me Judge Whitmore wouldn’t bat an eyelash.

In fact, Knight had already been in touch with her.

Apparently, she’d had a confrontation with Mr. Todd about the discrepancy and, as far as the court was concerned, the divorce and adoption was “an oversight the court deeply regrets filing incorrectly.” That’s how she put it.

Knuckles had called a meeting with the full club to announce Violet and Caleb were under Kiss of Death protection. No one questioned it. Even before they heard what Harrington had done, every brother in the room was ready to ride for my new family simply because they were mine.

“You look happy,” Violet said, leaning against the doorframe of our bedroom. She was wearing one of my T-shirts, the hem hitting her mid-thigh. The sight of her in my clothes did things to me I couldn’t put into words.

“I am happy,” I admitted, setting down the gun I’d been cleaning. When she raised an eyebrow, I shrugged. “Better to be prepared. None of us are supposed to have guns so we keep them in a weapons locker, hidden away. We don’t have them out much, but I’m not taking chances with you and Caleb.”

“You think he’s going to use physical force?” Violet looked worried, but I could tell she trusted me.

“I don’t know, honey. When did you last talk with Lana?”

“Yesterday,” she said. “She just said nothing new had developed and to stay with you until she said it was safe to leave.”

I frowned. “She hasn’t heard from Harrington’s lawyers?”

“I don’t know. If she has, she didn’t say.”

I put my arm around her and led her to the little oasis we’d created in the very center warehouse in our territory.

We’d hollowed out the thing and put in a swimming pool.

It wasn’t really fancy or anything, but it was a safe place to grill out and have a party if we wanted.

Since the guys had started acquiring old ladies, they’d quickly taken over this place.

There was camo netting over the ceiling, but sunlight still filtered down.

Sometimes, the girls had us remove the net to let in direct sunlight, but since Violet and Caleb got here, we decided it was best to hunker down.

Which actually made this place all the better.

Maybe because the enclosure was so big, or the way the sun hit the windows around the perimeter, but more sunlight came through here than anywhere else on the property inside the camo netting.

This was by far Violet’s favorite place on the whole property.

“Good afternoon, Violet.”

I spun around, putting myself between Violet and the newcomer. Which was when two things happened. First, I realized it was Doug Harrington speaking. He’d somehow gotten inside the compound and hunted us down.

Then, he shot me.

“Riot!” Violet screamed as I spun around. Harrington had fired at the same time as I’d moved and managed to only graze my arm. I grunted and jerked but didn’t go down.

With a roar of fury, I launched myself at Harrington. He got off another shot but missed. I heard Violet scream and looked over my shoulder. “Vi!” If that bastard had hit her, I’d tear him apart.

The second I took my eyes off him, Harrington attacked, tackling me to the ground.

The impact slammed me hard against the concrete, but I barely felt it through the adrenaline.

Harrington’s face was twisted with rage as he tried to bring the gun down toward my head.

I caught his wrist, straining against his surprising strength.

“You think you can take what’s mine?” he snarled, spittle flying from his lips. “The bitch belongs to me! So does the boy!”

“Like hell,” I growled, twisting his wrist until I heard the satisfying crack of bone. He howled, the gun clattering to the floor. I shoved him off me, scrambling to my feet. Blood soaked my shirt sleeve from the graze, but I barely noticed. My only thought was getting to Violet.

She stood frozen several feet away, her face pale with shock. “Quinn!”

“Get out of here!” I yelled, gesturing toward the exit. “Find Caleb!”

Harrington dove for the gun, but I kicked it away, sending it skidding across the concrete. He turned on me with a vicious growl, pulling a knife from his belt. “You’re nothing,” he spat. “Just some ex-con piece of trash. You think she wants you? She’s just using you for protection.”

I circled him warily, keeping myself between him and Violet. “So?”

That seemed to catch him off guard. “Are you willing to die for a little whore who’ll never love you?”

“Absolutely.”

Harrington’s face contorted with rage. He lunged at me, his knife slashing toward my chest. I sidestepped, grabbing his wrist and using his momentum to slam him face first into a steel post. The knife clattered to the ground but he recovered quickly, spinning and landing a solid punch to my wounded arm.

Pain exploded through me, but I’d endured worse in prison. I drove my fist into his gut, then his face when he doubled over. Blood spurted from his nose as he staggered backward. “How the fuck did you get in here?” I demanded, advancing on him.

He spat blood onto the concrete. “Money opens all doors.”

“Not here it doesn’t,” I growled.

“Quinn, behind you!” Violet screamed.

I whirled to see another man entering from the far door, gun raised. I’d seen this man at court. He hadn’t been in the courtroom with Harrington and his lawyer. He’d been outside. Had to be one of Harrington’s bodyguards.

I crouched and dove for Harrington just as a shot rang out. I swear, I could feel the wind from the bullet on my cheek. Violet screamed again as I slammed Harrington’s head against the concrete, knocking him out.

There was another shout. The newcomer raised his gun again, and this time he had a good bead on me. Another shot exploded and I flinched… but there was no pain.

The man jerked, a red stain blossoming on his chest, then he collapsed. That’s when I realized it hadn’t been the newcomer who’d shot. Violet had the gun Harrington had dropped. She clutched it in shaking hands, eyes wide but determined.

“Violet?” I put myself between her and the two men.

“Is he dead?” Her voice was surprisingly steady, all things considered. If she trembled a little, I’d never mention it. She still clutched the gun in one hand at her side.

“I don’t know. How about we get you out of here, then I’ll figure that out.”

“I’ll make sure you get sent back to prison, you son of a bitch.”

Doug Harrington wasn’t dead. I thought I’d knocked him out for a while, though. Guess I was wrong.

“No, you won’t.” Violet sucked in a breath. Standing in the doorway was Caleb. He had a gun in his hand, finger on the trigger.

“Caleb. Good. Get rid of this asshole. He’s a criminal. Probably killed a bunch of innocent people, so you’d be doing the world a favor.” Harrington looked like he fully expected his son to shoot me.

“Riot’s taking care of Mom now. You don’t get to touch her ever again.

” Caleb’s voice was steady, though I could tell he realized he’d bitten off more than he could chew.

The reality of what he was poised to do was far different from the daydream.

Caleb fully understood that killing a man wasn’t a trivial matter.

Not when it was your father you were killing.

“Caleb. Come on.” The patronizing look Harrington gave Caleb had my hackles rising for a multitude of reasons. Mostly because I was afraid it would be the thing to set Caleb off. “Be reasonable. You’re not going to kill me.”

My heart pounded, but I didn’t dare move. Not until I knew Caleb wasn’t going to pull that trigger.

“He’ll never stop,” Caleb said, his voice eerily calm. The gun didn’t waver in his grip. Yet another red flag. “He’ll always come after Mom. Not because he loves her. Because he can’t stand to lose.”

“You’re not a killer, Caleb.” Harrington tried to adopt a soothing tone, but it came out calculating and manipulative. “Don’t do something you can’t take back.”

Caleb’s eyes flickered between his father and me, the internal struggle clear on his face. Then his gaze settled on me, searching for something. “You killed your father when you were sixteen.”

“I did,” I acknowledged, taking another step toward him. “You know the whole story.”

“And you didn’t regret it.”

“You heard what I told your mom. No. I didn’t.

But the cost was high, and you’ve got a future here.

Once my mom was dead, I had nothing.” I tried to keep one eye on Caleb and the other on Harrington, but I was going to keep Caleb from killing his father, no matter what happened to me.

Hell, I’d rather the kid accidentally kill me than intentionally kill his father.

“Your mom still depends on you. She needs you. I do too, so I don’t screw things up for Violet. ”

“Listen to your mom’s criminal boyfriend. He knows what happens to murderers.”

“Christ, Doug. Know when to shut up,” Violet snapped.

Caleb’s hand trembled slightly now. “You know I’m right. He’ll never stop. You know he won’t.”